Seconds
by wayiiseewriting
Summary: In a moment everything changes...just don't forget to breath. Strong friendship between Rory and Finn.
1. Part One

Seconds

Summary: In a moment, everything changes. A smile turn into a frown. A hot cup of coffee gets dumped by a moving hand. A light turns green, a drunk driver runs through a red light. In a moment everything changes...just don't forget to breath.

Set in Season Seven.

Fandom: Gilmore Girls

\- Seconds -

The orderly sped down the hall with his crash cart, straining to reach the car crash victim in Baghdad. Finneaus Morganston feels her blood still on his face and his hands. His eyes go down to his hands, he wonders for a moment how long it will take until the shaking stops.

He was just doing his friend a favor. Not a favor, he corrects himself. Something he wanted, needed to do for the woman he considered a real good friend. Lorelai Leigh Gilmore the third needed a night off. She was worried. Finn could tell, looking at her eyes, that she was stressed beyond belief. Finn thinks for a moment, this must be how a college student is at a top university feels during their senior year. He just wanted to help.

He feels the tears swell up in his eyes as a nurse stands in front of him. "Sir." The nurse, wearing baby blue scrubs, mumbles underneath his breath. "Sir. We really need to get you looked at. You need some stitches. Maybe a xray. Your arm doesn't look the best..."

He doesn't feel the pain until the words of the nurse is spoken. "What?" He stands up tall. "I can't. My friend...my friend is she okay?"

"Sir. Let's get you into a room. We will get you checked out. Some pain med…"

"No." His voice is firm.

"I promise. I will keep you updated on your friends condition. You can help me too. You can help me. You can tell me who I need to call."

Finn's eyes go wide. He curses. "My phone. Her phone...shit. I need to her mom, her boyfriend." He suddenly feels weak, like his body is going to give up. His body is suddenly attacked by the sounds, sights of the hospital.

He whispers, "Will you promise to keep me updated? Let me help with the calls?"

"Yes, sir."

\- Seconds -

His fingers run across the buttons of her cell phone. He was surprised that her phone wasn't crushed in the accident.

He rubs his phone head, then dials the number of her mother. "Well, well. Gilmore house of rough…"

"Mrs. Gilmore." He quickly interrupts her silly greeting. He thinks for a moment how well the mother and daughter got along. It reminded him briefly how well he got along with father, and how much he wished to share that type of relationship with his children one day. He wonders for a brief second if she could tell something was wrong in the tone of his voice. "There's been an accident...Rory, Rory is the hospital. I haven't heard anything…"

"What hospital?" She says quickly. "Finn...stop talking. Where are you?"

"Bridgeport." Finn let's out a soft sob. He feels his body betraying itself. He didn't want to cry, he felt like he needed to be strong. "I'm so sorry. I should of saw that car. The man ran through a red light." He felt the urge to run his hand through his hair but he couldn't lift up his bad arm to do so.

Lorelai Gilmore the second, takes a deep breath. "Finn. Take a deep breath. It will be okay." She said the last three words for the both of them. They both needed to hear them. "Rory is strong. She will be okay. I am going to call Lu...someone..I'll get him to drive me up. I'll be there soon. On my way, I will make phone calls. Can you do me a favor?"

"Anything." He answers almost immediately.

"Call Logan, please? I don't have his phone number." She explained.

"Of course. I will see you soon."

\- Seconds -

Logan Huntzberger adored London.

Maybe adored was the wrong word but he had some sort of good feelings towards of the city nicknamed "The Big Smoke." But London was missing something that New Haven did not have. It was missing the person he loved, Rory.

He hated that his father tore him apart from her. He begged the older Huntzberger to let him work in a city near New Haven, but he couldn't get the man to agree.

It's a little after four am when Logan's eyes open from the sound coming on the nightstand. He rolls over to his left, stretching and grabbing his cell phone.

His mind wanders for a moment and he hopes that Rory was calling. He knew that she was suppose to be having fun with Finn. He was grateful that one of his oldest friends still cared enough for Rory to hang out even when he wasn't there.

"'ello…" He speaks softly into the phone.

"Logan."

The youngest Huntzberger knew who that voice belonged to and also knew something was wrong from the tone of voice. He has only heard the tone once when Colin McCrae got into an accident during a Life And Death Brigade party. Colin ended up being okay but when Finn found Logan to say what's happened, his voice was riddled with worry.

Logan frowns. He sits up quickly, turning on his lamp next to his bed. "What's wrong?" His asks his best friend.

"Rory…" The man on the other line voice broke. "We were heading back to your apartment from New York City and…" Logan hears the sound of a shaky breath on the line. "I didn't see the car. It crashed into her side. Then we crashed…"

Logan gets out of the king sized bed in his loft. He goes to window. At the moment, he curses his father. "Focus." He knew his best friend well enough that the man was blaming himself for the other hand, Logan was blaming himself. "Where's Rory, Finn?"

"The hospital in Bridgeport." Finn says.

Logan thinks. "Have you heard anything?"

Finn voice was quiet, he wondered if he could trust his voice to speak. "No."

"Okay. I'm gonna pack, I'm going to head back on the jet. I'll be there as soon as I can. Maybe we can get her moved to the hospital in New Haven. It's a lot better than Bridgeport. It handles a lot more people at least…" Logan rants, getting all his thoughts out. "Finn...was it bad?"

"She looked in rough shape…" The man mumbles. "I called her mom."

Logan smiles softly. At the moment, he was beyond thankful that someone he trusted was with her. "Thank you for calling her. Calling me. Finn...are you okay?"

Finn shakes his head before forgetting that the man who stood miles away couldn't see him. "I'm okay. Compared to her. I'm okay."

"Good. I call you when I know the plane details. Can you do me a favor though?"

Finn already knew what he was going to ask. "Don't worry. I will call you if I hear anything. And I won't leave until you get here." The Australian man promises the man he considers family.

"Thank you."


	2. Part Two

Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! You are all the best.

Part Two

\- Seconds -

Finn's good hand couldn't stop shaking.

He was told it from shock or some bullshit like that. God - he was tearing himself apart. If he waited one more minute, if he…

"Finn!" The sound of his name tears him away from his thoughts. He looks all over and see Colin McCrae, one of his best friends, running down the hallway. "Shit, Finn." He gently touches his friends face, before throwing his arm around him an awkward hug. "Buddy, I'm glad you are okay. Logan called. Asked to stay with you. I gotta ask...don't get mad…"

Before Colin could ask, Finn answers, "I wasn't drunk. I didn't have a drink at all. No drinking. We saw New York City the way she wanted then...then…" He couldn't tell his story once more. He already told it to the paramedic's then the police officers at the scene and at the hospital. He looks to Colin. "He is going to hate me…"

"It's okay. Shit happens. He won't hate you. Anything, he is going to appreciate that you got the paramedics and you took care of her until help got there. Rory is strong. She will be okay. Come on. Let's sit down. I'll get you some coffee, or something better for your stomach."

"Okay, okay. Thank you." Finn whispers.

\- Seconds -

The second group to arrive was Lorelai the first and her boyfriend, Luke Danes. Lorelai was a wreck, tears running down her face and the rest of her body full of shakes.

Guilt ran through Finn's body.

If anything happened to Rory, he could never forgive himself.

\- Seconds -

The night ran cold. At some point, Finn fell asleep with his head in Colin's lap. Finn fought the sleep, but after making sure that someone would wake him up if Logan arrived or with any news of Rory, he could not put it off anymore.

Lorelai had a moment of panic, looking over to the two best friends. "Did someone call Logan?" She whispers, her voice is hoarse.

"Finn called. He is on his way." Colin says. "Can I ask you something…" She nods. "Why aren't you mad?"

"Finn loves my daughter."

"Okay…" Colin says softly to Lorelai's answer to his question.

She turns to look at him. He notices her hands are still shaking, and his mind wanders for a moment if his parents were ever like this when he was in the hospital. He brushed it off, Logan and Finn would of been more worried than the man he called his father and whatever step mother he had at the moment.

"I see the love that Finn, Logan and you have for my daughter. Yeah, sure, Logan's love for her is different than the two of yours." She starts to ramble. "I know with the both of you, you will look after her. You both consider her a little sister and I just...I just appreciate it. I appreciate that you are her surrogate big brothers. I know that she feels the same for you both. That she considers you both big brothers. I just...I just understand that you all are some crazy kind of family and I have finally accepted that. I am sorry it took so long."

"Don't be sorry. I understand we are kind of crazy. But she did warm her way into our hearts…we all love her. We all want her in our lives forever." Colin says; Lorelai could hear the seriousness in his voice. "Finn adores her. I know he feels beyond guilty for this. And he will, until she wakes up, until he hears her speak." Lorelai looks down. "She's strong…"

Colin promises himself, once his friend wakes up, he would ask his father a personal favor and sue the man who did this for everything that he has. The man would not get away with this.

"She is…she is strong." She whispers.

\- Seconds -

Everything feels heavy.

She opens her eyes softly, immediately regretting the action. A little sound escapes her lips, and she tries to move one of her hands to help herself up. Maybe she could open her eyes again, she thinks, once she is seated upwards.

"Hey. Hey…" She hears a soft voice welcome her back into the world. "Don't try to move. Let me get a doctor…" She moves her head to the side, she opens her eyes slowly. She takes in the scene around her.

She is at the hospital...what the fuck?

\- Seconds -

The clock hits five thirty-six am when the doctor comes out. "Family for Lorelai Leigh Gilmore?"He asks.

Emily Gilmore, Richard Gilmore, Christopher Hayden, Lorelai, Luke, Colin and Finn stand up. Logan Huntzberger should be here in three hours time, that's what he said in his last call to Colin at least. "That's us…" It's Luke who speaks.

"She's awake." The doctor says, he notices every single person standing in front of him look like the world was lifted off each of their shoulders. "The nurse is with her at the moment. But she is okay."

"What are her injuries?" Finn whispers. But the whisper is loud enough to fill the quiet room.

The doctor gives a small smile. "She's going to be okay. She has a grade three concussion. Three broken ribs. Some bruises, scratches on her face. She also has a two broken bones in her right leg, her right wrist shattered. But lucky all her internal injuries, we were able to take care of." The doctor takes a breath. "She's also going to have a headache for a couple days. She is going to need a lot of rest, she is going to need to be in a little stress free for a couple months…"

"Thank you doctor." Lorelai says. "Can we see her now?"

"The nurse said she spelled out the name Finn. Are one of you Finn?"

Finn slowly raises his hand as his heart beats faster. "I am."

\- Seconds -

Rory whines as the nurse turns down the light. "The pain medication will be working soon, . Just relax." She smiles at the young woman who looked pale and fragile in the thin hospital bed. The youngest Gilmore had an oxygen tube around her nose, an iv hooked up to her arm, her wrist and leg wrapped up in elastic wrap. The nurse felt for the younger woman.

She whispers to the nurse. "Finn?" Suddenly the Australian native walks through the door. "You are okay?" Rory breaths out.

"I think I am suppose to ask you that?" Finn rushes over to her side, kissing her cheek. "You worried me. You worried us all…"

"All?" She whispers. Finn nods. "Who's here?"

"Everyone. Logan is on his way, too. I had to call him." Finn can see the exhaustion suddenly take her over. "You are going to be okay, aren't you?"

"Yeah. Finn?"

"Yes, love?"

"Please don't blame yourself. This isn't your fault…"

Finn gives a weak smile. "Thank you for always knowing what to say. I shall go tell your mother and father that you are almost asleep. They should come see you…"

"Okay…" Her eyes are fully closed now. She knows the act of sleep will take over her soon.


	3. Part Three

Thanks for all the reviews!

You are all wonderful.

\- Seconds -

Each family member and friend took turns to see Rory. The time each person spent with her was brief but made everyone feel a little better to see her with her own eyes. Lorelai and Christopher Hayden were in her hospital room now.

Colin was sitting next to his friend, on the cold tile floor of the hospital, and he sighs knowing that it was his turn to try to convince Finn that he needed sleep. "Finn, let's get you back to my apartment. You need some sleep, good sleep. I can bring you back later."

"No." The Aussie man says once again. He appreciated that each member of Rory's family came to comfort him, though he didn't really understand why they weren't angry at him. It was his fault that she was laying in a hospital bed, or he blamed himself that the woman he considers a little sister was laying in the hospital bed, hurt.

"You can't do anything here for her." Colin begins to say. "We can come back later today. We can buy her the whole hospital gift shop if that makes you feel better."

"I promised." He whispers, looking down to the floor.

Colin looks confused. "Promised what?"

"I promised him that I would take care of her. I promised him. This isn't taking care of her. I almost killed her." Colin frowns, putting an arm around his best friend and pulling him close. "Logan is going to hate me…"

"Never. I would never hate you." A voice speaks above them. Finn stands with Colin's help. Logan hugs Finn tightly. "This isn't your fault. I am so thankful for you. You helped her survive. You took care of her until the people who could help got there. You saved her…"

"But…"

Logan interrupts. "You saved her. I will always been thankful for that. Alright, I love you Finn. Now, you need rest. Go to our apartment or Colin's…"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Only for a couple hours…" Finn whispers, looking at her room than starts to walk away.

"Drug his water. Make sure he doesn't come back until tonight. Make sure he gets some looks like he needs the sleep."

"I promise, I'll take care of him. " Colin tells his best friend. He knows Finn would do the same for any of them. "She's right through the that door…call if you need anything…"

"Thanks…" He whispers. He sighs, setting down his jacket and bag by the door before walking in.

His body relax at the first sight of his girlfriend but his heart beat faster. She looked so tiny in the hospital bed. His heart wanted to break. "Lorelai. Mister Hayden. How is she?"

Lorelai stands, smiling softly. "She was up twenty minutes go. She was asking for you. I'm glad you're here."

"There's no place in the world I rather be. She is going to be okay, isn't she?" He whispers, his eyes not leaving the love of his life.

Christopher goes into detail what the doctor told them a couple hours ago. "It's going to be a couple days until the she can leave, the doctor said. Even when she does leave, she still might be in pain. She probably won't be able to live by herself for a while. He also said she's going to need a lot of rest for her recovery but in the end she will be okay."

"How long is that recovery?" Logan whispers.

"It's going to be a couple months."

Logan thinks in his head, what he can do next. He's going to call his dad after he talks to Rory. He is going to need to come back to New Haven, he wants to be here for her. He slides his hand through his hair.

"Logan?" Lorelai asks. "Chris and I are going to go to the waiting room. I need some coffee or some food. We'll give you some time alone with her."

"Can we get you anything?" Chris asks.

"Thanks…um, I'm okay." He whispers, watching his girlfriend's parents leave the room.

He takes a seat next to the bed, grabbing her hand and cradling it in his hand. "Ace." He presses his lips against her hand softly. "I'm sorry I couldn't be here right away but I promise, I'm not leaving anytime soon. I am not leaving you."

\- Seconds -

"I need a drink." Finn says as Colin helps his best friend through his apartment door.

"I don't think you can drink on the pain medication you are on." Colin points out.

"Just one. Please. Today...today has been horrible." Finn begs.

His friend frowns at the begging that came from his best friend. Then thinks, a small drink can't hurt anything. "One. A small drink. And I make it." Colin said, remembering the small promise he made to Logan half an hour earlier.

"Deal."

"You can sleep in my room. Not naked though!" Colin adds the last part, hoping it would make his friend crack a smile.

Finn sits on the couch, not having enough energy to walk to his friends bedroom. He puts his head in his hands and starts to cry.

How did life get so fucked up so quick?

\- Seconds -

Logan head laid on her bed, his hand held hers tightly as he slept. The no sleep since the four am phone call finally caught up to him.

Lorelai, Luke, and Chris stood at the doorway watching the couple carefully. Emily and Richard going back home. "Do you think the two of them know they are going to get married?" Lorelai asks.

"I thought you hated him."

She shrugs her shoulders. "I'm warming up to him and everything he is brought into her life. He treats her good. I think he would give her a good life. Him and their crazy friends."

"They do care.." Chris whispers.

\- Seconds -

Rory let's out a little soft whine, rolling her head over to the side. "Logan?" She quietly says to her sleeping boyfriend.

He quickly jumps up, slamming his hand into the metal bar on the bed when he heard her voice. He let's out a breath, seeing her awake. "Hello Ace."


End file.
